The draw for the Australian took place this week. Some interesting matchups will have fans looking forward to the tournament which begins on 20th January. One match that is sure to draw attention is the rematch between Venus Williams and Coco Gauff.
Coco’s rise to fame
Coco rose to fame last year after a remarkable run at Wimbledon. She surprised many by reaching the round of 16. She caused the biggest upset of the tournament by defeating Venus 6-4 6-4. Her dominant performance over the experienced five-time Wimbledon champion made her an overnight sensation. She broke into the WTA top 100 and is currently ranked 66th. The American teenager also won her first title at the Linz Open in Austria, becoming one of the youngest female champions.
Coco vs Venus H2H record and Predictions for the rematch
Now, the 15-year-old will face Venus again in the first round at the Australian Open. After defeating her at Wimbledon, Coco revealed that she looked up the Williams sisters. She called Venus one of her idols. So in terms of H2H, it goes in favor of Coco with 1-0 lead over Venus Williams. (Know more about Coco vs Venus’ face-off so far)
The 15-year-old will have another chance to claim victory over her role model. Coco will be favored to win the match. Her form at the end of last season showed that she was capable of taking on the best female players in the game. At 39 years, Venus is at the twilight of her career. She is yet to play at a tournament this season and her last competitive match was at the Tianjin Open last October. She advanced to the round of 32 in that tournament and lost to Rebecca Peterson. While her experience could be a factor in their match, Coco will be the favorite player to advance to the second round after a straight-sets victory.
Coco recently played at the Auckland Open where she lost in the round of 16 to Laura Siegemund. Serena Williams won the tournament, defeating fellow American Jessica Pegula in straight sets to claim her first title since returning from her maternity absence. She will be the favorite to lift the title in Australia given her good form early in the season. Serena is aiming to tie Margret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slams which has eluded her since her comeback. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was a finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open but lost in both finals. The Australian Open will begin next Monday and conclude on 2nd February.
Cori Gauff’s ranking and performance in 2020
Now the world no.66 (career-high), the American played her last match on the 9th of January when she was defeated by Laura Siegemund 5-7 6-2 6-3 in the 2nd round in Auckland.
Venus Williams’s ranking and performance in 2020
Now ranked no.55, the American played her last match on the 7th of October when she had to bow to Rebecca Peterson 6-3 4-6 6-3 in the 1st round in Tianjin.
Cori Gauff and Venus Williams played each other 1 time. The head to head is 1-0 for Gauff.
The last time that they locked horns, Cori Gauff won 6-4 6-4 in the 1st round in London (Wimbledon) in July 2019.
